Daily Dose of Motivation

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar

It’s often very difficult to stay motivated day in and day out, but the problem is that if you want to stay ahead of the pack; you’re going to have to put in more sweat, blood and tears than everyone else. This is exactly why, according to the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (these people have not learned how to abbreviate!), 2% of adults in the world own more than half the world’s wealth!

Now what is wealth? Chris Rock clearly states the difference between being rich and being wealthy: “Shaq is rich; the white man who signs his checks is wealthy”.

Yes, I know that a many members of that 2% club probably did something illegal, or political (meaning they did something illegal but made it look legal, like invading other countries and stealing their oil – but that’s a whole different story), but that should not hinder us from finding the right path destined for each of us to succeed. Legal or not, this statistic shows that only 2% of the world has found the path towards the uppermost echelon (with concerns to monetary wealth).

The secret may be as simple as HARD WORK!

“The heights by great men reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight;
But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

One of my favorite college professors, Prof. Kevin Cox, once told me that there will always be two ways to accomplish something – the hard way and the easy way. “Always pick the hard way!” he said.

Everyone else is taking the easy path. You really want to stand out from that crowded line and instead, take the road less traveled. It may seem tough and strenuous now, but when you look back, you’ll realize that that challenge probably helped you grow much more than you would, had you taken the easier route.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
– Robert Frost

For this thought, I like using the analogy of taking a stroll in the park as compared to climbing a mountain. You don’t get to grow or change much when you take a nice quiet walk in the park. Sure, it’s convenient, nice and relaxing, but there isn’t much room for growth in this. Now climbing a mountain is the total opposite. You have to test every single muscle in your body, not to mention you’d have to prepare yourself mentally to withstand the many obstacles that will hinder your path to the top. Even when doing each of the two tasks with someone else; you’ll learn a lot more about your partner and grow with them if you two climbed the mountain together. You’d have to trust them with your life and ensure that they can trust you with theirs when climbing. As compared to walking in the park where you may learn a thing or two about them, but again, not much room for growth.

So here I am, ready to take on the mountain.

I will be posting motivational thoughts everyday before I begin my daily routines. Hopefully, my efforts to motivate myself will in-turn, help motivate others as well.

“You don’t find yourself;
you MAKE yourself!”